Top Stories - Topics from October, 2016

A man who shot a woman in the Golden Pantry parking lot on Hwy. 29 South in Hull Oct. 27 was taken into custody later that day without incident, according to Investigator Jimmy Patton.

Steven Michael Harper, 42, of Athens, was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery FVA, receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm by a convicted felon or felony first offender and failure to appear.

Patton said Harper’s vehicle was tracked to Anderson SC, where it was located and while officials were there, they received a call that Harper was traveling as a passenger in an SUV in Elberton.

Elberton PD performed a traffic stop on the vehicle and took Harper into custody without incident.

The 39-year-old female employee was shot in the leg at least once by Harper about 7:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the store.

The victim was transported to Athens Regional Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, according to Patton.

The assailant and the victim were or had been in a domestic relationship. Harper was armed with a handgun that fired shotgun type rounds, Patton noted. Law enforcement issued a “be on the lookout” (BOLO) for surrounding areas.

Patton said officers were aware of Harper stalking the victim and had had the store under surveillance the night before. He said officers had just left the area about 20 minutes before the shooting happened.

According to an incident report, earlier in the night Deputy Joe McGuffin was dispatched to the store after the manager called to say that her employee (victim) was being stalked by Harper. She told McGuffin Harper called the store “constantly” asking for the victim. She said he had also been coming to the store at all hours, scaring both employees and customers. She said that night he had called several times to say he was “watching them.”

When the clerk locked the doors to go to the restroom, Harper allegedly called asking when she was going to unlock the doors.

The manager supplied McGuffin with Harper’s information and McGuffin discovered Harper had several outstanding warrants as well as an invalid license.

The manager reported that Harper was seen driving a late 70s model Ford truck. The tag number for the truck came back to an Elberton man.

McGuffin and another officer canvassed the area to no avail. A customer told officers that he had seen Harper in the truck about 1:45 a.m. the previous morning in the parking lot of the Shell station diagonally across the road from the Golden Pantry with his headlights facing the store.

McGuffin was called back to the Golden Pantry about 3:40 a.m. to meet with the manager again. She said that Harper had called repeatedly over the last several minutes. She said she put the phone on speaker and others heard him say he would “get her too” and that he called her vulgar names.

McGuffin noted that Harper called three more times while he was there and began cursing the manager when she would not get the victim on the phone.

The victim told McGuffin she did not know where Harper might be, saying he could be “anywhere” but that he could be “back in Elberton on Sweet City Road.”

Deputies continued to monitor the area until just before the shooting, according to the report.

Madison County’s infrastructure development is in a state of hiatus — at least until some debts are paid off.

The county industrial authority spent much of the past decade running water lines in the county with the help of grants and loans, but the group is not in a position to pursue new projects.

Group members acknowledged that fact during their Oct. 17 meeting.

Marvin White noted that the IDA has been approached by Medlink on Hwy. 72 about providing sewer services to the facility, where an expansion is planned. But there are no funds available for the IDA to provide those services. He said debt payments are being paid on time but that the authority is not in position to expand right now.
“We just continue to look and see if we can do something on the sewer there, but we don’t have the money to do it and we can’t borrow the money and make payments on it,” said White. “We’re strapped with payments.”

White pointed out that the county digest decreased by $90 million in 2010, which put a significant dent in revenues for the IDA. The digest has yet to return to previous levels. This has also impacted revenues for the county government.

Industrial authority chairman Bruce Azevedo said taking on new debts is not advisable now for the IDA.

“The next thing we do like that (a sewer project) we’re going to have to have something that shows we’re actually producing revenue for us to be able to pay, and the commissioners and the cities are going to have to be involved,” said Azevedo. “It’s just too expensive for us to do on our own.”

Azevedo said the long-term plan to run sewer services down Hwy. 72 is sensible — as far as expanding the county tax base — but he said it’s not feasible now.

“Sewer down Hwy. 72 will cost millions of dollars and the IDA cannot handle that; it’s going to have be a community effort,” said Azevedo.

The chairman said the IDA can start looking at more projects as debts on previous water projects are paid off.

“We’re three and a half or four years from paying our first debt off and then after that I think it’s every two years,” said Azevedo.

In a separate matter Oct. 17, the IDA learned that Madison County water customers purchased over 10 million gallons of water from the IDA in September, a monthly record.

— See the Oct. 27 print edition of The Madison County Journal for more coverage.

The Red Raider football team took one step closer to the playoffs Friday, defeating North Oconee 26-14 on Homecoming.

Madison County (6-2, 1-2) now needs to win one of its final two games to clinch a playoff berth. The Raiders also guaranteed themselves a winning season Friday after finishing with just one win last year.

Madison County scored on its first two possessions, once on a five-yard run by David Metts and then on a 17-yard run by Andre Witt, whose score was set up by Levi Larkins’ onside kick. Larkins recovered his own onside kick at the North Oconee 49 yard line to give the Raiders good field possession.

The Raiders threatened again late in the quarter driving down deep into Titan territory, but the drive stalled after a fourth-down pass from Metts fell incomplete.
North Oconee cut the lead in half with a six-yard touchdown run to open the second quarter, but Madison County answered, with Metts scoring from 11 yards out on a quarterback keeper with 5:21 left in the half. Larkins’ point after failed, but the Raiders enjoyed a 13-point lead at the intermission.

Madison County then crowned Julia Hix as Homecoming Queen and Taylor Andrews as Princess.

North Oconee took the game’s first possession of the second half but fumbled the ball right into the hands of Colby Smith who ran in for a 40-yard touchdown.

Madison County attempted a two-point conversion but failed. North Oconee posted a final touchdown with 9:05 left on a 46-yard pass play.

Madison County will close its home season Friday night versus Oconee County at 7:30.

Several schools in Madison County are “testing the waters” to allow parents to use debit and credit cards to pay school fees.

Assistant superintendent Bonnie Knight told the board of education Tuesday night that the high school, middle school and Danielsville Elementary will be the first schools to offer this service. The high school is starting with junior dues and Danielsville is starting with payments for the after-school program.

Schools are currently in the process of notifying parents about the new payment options.

Knight also noted that the system plans to receive quotes on refinancing several bonds on their current debt service. She said she hopes the system will be able to save about $500,000 in interest rates.

Knight said there has been “no interest” so far in the old board of education office on Mary Ellen Court in Danielsville.

In other business, superintendent Allen McCannon noted that two Danielsville restaurants are closing and he is “beginning to worry” about business revenue in Madison County. He also noted that new construction is going on next to the new Kroger Marketplace near Athens Tech in neighboring Clarke County.

On a positive note, he noted that Georgia’s SAT scores are now above the national average and assistant superintendent Michael Williams later told the board that SAT scores in Madison County are 80 points higher than they were last year. Williams attributed the higher scores to students being offered more rigorous AP classes.[Full Story »]

Child Safety Seat Check Day is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the at the Ila Volunteer Fire Department, Hwy. 98 near the intersection with Hwy. 106.

The event is sponsored by the Pilot Club of Madison County with a matching grant from the Jackson Electric Membership Corporation Foundation and in conjunction with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department and other cooperating agencies.

Child Safety Day is designed to increase the safety of children in Madison County and surrounding areas, organizers said. To be in compliance with Georgia’s Child Safety Law beginning on July 1, 2011, all children under 8 years old must be properly secured in an approved car seat or booster seat while riding in a car, van, SUV, and pickup truck. Any exemptions will be explained the day of the event.

At Child Safety Day trained checkers from the Madison County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies will check seats for recall, safety and proper fit in the vehicle. Seats will be replaced, on a first-come, first-served basis, at no cost to parents as long as supplies last, organizers said. A limit of one per family may be enforced, depending on the demand.

The parent/guardian, child or children who will use the seat and the vehicle in which it will be installed must all be present, organizers stressed.

It’s been a nearly two-year presidential campaign. Ready to get that vote out of the way?

Well, you can do it starting Monday. Early voting for the Nov. 8 general election will be held at the Madison County Board of Elections and Registrar’s Office in the county government complex Monday through Friday, Oct. 17 through Nov. 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday voting will be held at the office Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Voters who wait until election day to vote will need to do so at their voting precinct, not the county elections office.

Tuesday was the final day voters could register to cast their ballots.

“We have had a tremendous turnout today, phone calls and individuals registering to vote,” said Tracy Dean, chairperson of the Board of Elections and Registration. “I believe it may be larger than the 2008 election!”

There are two local races on the ballot. Madison County Democrat Cedric Fortson will face Republican John Scarborough for the county commission chairman’s seat, while Democrat Conolus Scott Jr. will face Republican Tripp Strickland for the District 2 chair at the county commission table.[Full Story »]

Madison County Middle School is mourning the loss of community coach Stacy Alexander, who died Oct. 5 in a car accident in Franklin County.

Alexander, 28, died in a single-vehicle accident at approximately 7:30 a.m., Oct. 5, on Hwy. 29 just outside of Royston. He was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from his vehicle, according to Franklin County deputy coroner Scott Obarr.

Alexander was remembered by coaches and school leaders as a great influence on kids.

“I had the honor and privilege of working with Stacy Alexander as a volunteer coach with the Madison County Youth Association,” said Madison County School Superintendent Allen McCannon. “Coach Stacy encouraged young men to give their best and be a good teammate. All players loved Coach Stacy. He loved life and was a great role model. He wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people. Stacy served as a volunteer community coach and mentor for our school system. His passing was very difficult for our students and those staff members who had the privilege of knowing him. We will miss Stacy! He was the type of person who made the world a better place through his actions. Our thoughts and prayers are with Amanda, Calen and the entire family.”

Alexander was a football and basketball coach this year at Madison County Middle School. He was remembered by his fellow coaches Josh Callicut, Michael Garzarek and Graham Burns as the “true embodiment of a community servant.”[Full Story »]

Madison County commissioners had some tense discussions over road paving Oct. 3, but the group ultimately voted not to pave any new roads, citing projected budget shortfalls.

County commissioner John Pethel requested that the board pave New Town Church Road. The low bid for the paving project was $424,167. Pethel said there was left-over state funding for roads that could be used, which would knock the project down to approximately $300,000. He said that residents of the road have been waiting for years to have it paved.

Commissioner Theresa Bettis said that the county began the year in a $523,000 hole in sales tax funding for roads. The county collects a one-cent sales tax with a portion of it going toward roads. The government went ahead and paved some roads before all of the funds were collected. The pennies are trickling in and the deficit is down to $194,000 as of September.

“I’d like us to be patient and keep moving in the right direction,” said Bettis, who noted a projected revenue shortfall of about $1.2 million in next year’s overall county budget.

The board has roughly $3.5 million in reserves. And the group has been pulling from the reserve fund for several years as budget shortfalls have become an annual occurrence.

When a home catches fire, there’s often little time to escape. And the beep of a smoke detector can mean the difference between life and death.

That’s why Madison County volunteer firemen and Red Cross volunteers canvassed the county Saturday, hoping to make local residents safer by installing free smoke alarms in many homes.

The county received a grant from the Red Cross for 370 smoke detectors with a 10-year life.

From 9:30am to 3 p.m. Oct. 1, 41 volunteers, including members of the Madison County volunteer fire departments, University of Georgia Red Cross Club and the Northeast Georgia Red Cross installed 333 smoke alarms in 92 homes and helped 257 people.

“The old record was 310 smoke alarms in one day,” said Matthew G Akins, GA CEM Preparedness and Partnership Lead Coordinator for the American Red Cross of Northeast Georgia.

Bobbie Tyner, who lives near the Shiloh Fire Department, said she was thankful for the alarms installed in her home.

“It means protection,” she said. “I think it’s great.”

Local fire officials said people often fail to recognize how important smoke alarms are in saving lives.

“The importance of this program is that we help families, the needy, senior citizens, veterans, folks with mobility issues, get smoke detectors installed in their homes,” said Butch McDuffie, chief of the Shiloh Volunteer Fire Department. “There is a huge lack of smoke detectors in the community. In the state of Georgia, there have been over 100 fatalities related to smoke and fires so far this year. Many of the folks we’re helping out today don’t have any smoke detectors installed in their houses at all. Some folks neglect taking care of their smoke detectors and they don’t realize what the true importance of it is. Smoke detectors save lives and this program that we’re working with the Red Cross and all the Madison County volunteer firefighters will serve to help save lives and protect members of our community and make life better for us and hopefully prevent a fire fatality.”

Frank Edwards of the Red Cross echoed McDuffie’s sentiments about smoke alarms. He said alarms need to be functional at night or whenever a person sleeps and won’t be alert to danger. He said alarms need to be in bedrooms and in corridors. The Red Cross official said volunteers canvassed numerous county trailer parks Saturday, trying to make sure people had fire alarms.

Edwards said there are still smoke alarms left in the program.
“We’re going to do it again,” he said.

All eyes are on the presidential race, but other important decisions will also be on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

For instance, should the state be able to take control from local boards of education if schools in their district are deemed “failing?”

Georgia voters are going to have the following question on this year’s ballot: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance?”

No Madison County schools fit this “failure” billing.

But all five Madison County Board of Education members signed a joint letter published in this week’s Journal, which expresses concern about the state wrestling control away from local boards of education and creating an “Opportunity School District” (OSD).

If the amendment is approved, the state government can grant powers to a special superintendent who answers only to the governor.

“In our opinion, the entire local community of parents, educators, and other stakeholders will lose its voice in local school affairs,” wrote members of the Madison County Board of Education. “School boards will lose purpose and value for any school taken over by OSD. In addition, we do not see how this plan will address the root causes of failure. How will seizing the authority to manage a school actually fight poverty or encourage parent involvement? How is student engagement bolstered by this takeover? Data used to justify the empowerment of the OSD are inconsistent and have not been adequately tested by time.” [Full Story »]